Bitslap with KBC:
Playlist
from November 17, 2009

Back in 1979, I made the decision to accept Dr Demento as my personal savior. Since then, with the help of his apostles Spike, Al, Stan and Black-Eyed Susan Brown, I have made it my mission to spread the Gospel of the Firesign and the Word of the Waller. Please join me and my fellow seekers as we find the Wisdom we crave and the Rapture we deserve. A new sermon every Tuesday (and NO collection plate!).

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From the album Radio Dinner in 1972, produced and performed by magazine editor Tony Hendra. With the success of the magazine, there were spinoffs into records, books, radio, movies and Broadway. The Lampoon Radio Hour gave us the Not Ready for Prime Time Players (Belushi, Radner, Chase, Morris, Guest, etc) years before SNL. Supposedly, NatLamp radio is back on XM/Sirius Radio, but I was unable to find it.

Jonathan Edwards

NOLA

You have to really know hot to play piano to play this badly. And the guy playing is none other than Paul Weston, who with his wife Jo Stafford, comprised Jonathan & Darlene Edwards, one of the most screamingly funny unknown acts ever. With Jonathan’s wobbly tempos and Darlene’s off-key warbling, they are as infectious a treat as anything I’ve ever heard. I would love to do a whole pod on them (they have at least 3 albums), but I would then have to hide from an angry mob.

Scratch Band

WHEN WE DANCE

Speaking of Saturday Night live, here’s a band that was fronted by G.E. Smith former music director of the SNL Band for ten years. He met Gilda Radner while in the band for her Broadway show and they were married soon after. Then he got dumped for Gene Wilder. Smith has been playing guitar since age four and put in hard time with Hall & Oates, Bob Dylan’s touring band and house band for the Cleveland Browns. Currently he is touring with the band Moonalice.

Woody Guthrie

CAR SONG

In between writing serious tunes, Woody had a couple of kids and wrote a shitload of songs for them, including this one, and stuff like “Make a Blobble” and “I’ll Eat You, I’ll Drink You” and there are several albums of them out there. Again, they would make a very good pod on their own, one that you would actually enjoy. I’ll get right on it. Stay tuned.

Music behind DJ:Helen and Dick Bouchard

AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW IS TWEEKERTOWN

Grateful Dead

VIOLA LEE BLUES

From the first G.D. album, it was written by Noah Lewis, who was noted as a jug band musician who could play two harmonicas at once, one with his mouth and one with his nose. He also wrote two other G.D. songs, including “New, New Minglewood Blues" and "Big Railroad Blues." He died in 1961 at age 64 of gangrene caused by frostbite, a condition he suffered out of extreme poverty.

Pete Townshend

WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN [Lifehouse]

After the success of “Tommy,” Pete Townshend again tried his hand at rock opera. Beginning with “Pure and Easy” he set about writing a tale of a futuristic society in search of the One Note, where listener could merge with music. The project became waylaid and some of the songs wound up on “Who’s Next” and “Who are You” and it wasn’t until 1992 that he got around to revisiting the project, which had now grown to include a radio play and a movie. In 2000, Townshend released “The Lifehouse Chronicles,” a six disc boxed set that included four discs of music and two of the radio play.

Nazz

HANG ON PAUL/KIDDIE BOY

From Nazz Nazz, the second album by Todd Rundgren’s first group Nazz, from Philadelphia. The album was to be a 2-disc set entitled “Fungo Bat.” On the album is a (frightfully mediocre) 11-minute cut called “Beautiful Song” which was part of material inspired by Laura Nyro which was intended for “Fungo Bat.” Rundgren became disillusioned with the direction of the band and split to begin his successful solo career. Nazz carried on with keyboardist Stewkey and Nazz III was released with some of the “Fungo Bat” material.

NY Rock n Roll Ensemble

MONKEY [Can Your Monkey Do the Bird]

The NYRRE marked the first real appearance of Michael Kamen, who later went on to astonishing success as a composer, arranger and especially as a scorer of films. Before he died in 2003 (at age 55), Kamen worked with some of the biggest names in rock from Metallica to Bryan Adams, from Janis Ian to Pink Floyd. His film credits run the gamut from Brazil to the Lethal Weapon Franchise. As for The Ensemble, they fused rock and classical and their shows featured concertos and oboes and white tie and tails. While this song has its whimsical moments, the rest of the album is quite serious, as you would expect from Julliard-trained musicians.

Persuasions

I'LL BE FOREVER LOVING YOU

Synonymous with a capella, the Persuasions got their start in Brooklyn when they used to play basketball together and sing about it afterwards. Their early recordings (done in Jersey City) were picked up by Frank Zappa who brought them to California and they’ve never looked back. They’ve recorded tribute albums to the Grateful Dead, U2 and the Beatles. This is from their 1979 album, “Comin at Ya.”

Eddie Lawrence

LORD BELLYACHER

Maybe one-third of his material grew out of the Old Philosopher, so Eddie is like Iron Butterfly in that nobody thinks there’s any more to him. Eddie was a funny guy who wrote so much stuff that we’ll never get it all. He’s done movies, impressions, standup and cartoons since the 40s and hosted NY’s local 3 Stooges show (on channel 11, before Officer Joe Bolton). In March, he’ll be 91 and no one’s figured out how to stop him yet. God bless him.

Music behind DJ:Myron Floren

BEER BARREL POLKA [disco]

Paper Lace

CHEEK TO CHEEK

I’m betting this is from their only album. They’re best known for “Night Chicago Died” and this record is full of oddball covers like this one. My guess is they were dragged from their limos and chased to the four corners of the earth where they will not bother anyone anymore, but I could be wrong.

Weird Al Yankovic

SMELLS LIKE NIRVANA

As covers go, this one’s a gem, but if you really want a treat, check out the video that goes with it at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FklUAoZ6KxY (and look for a cameo by Dick Van Petton). It’s so eerily similar to the original (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg) right down to the same guy as janitor and was actually filmed in the same room.

Rolf Harris

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

Born in 1930 in Perth, Western Australia, Harris got his start as an artist doing a cartoon drawing show on Aussie TV, which didn’t pay all that well, so he made extra money playing accordion and singing in clubs in the area. In 1960, One song he wrote was about tying down some hapless kangaroo, and it went straight to #1 on the local charts and soon spread to the rest of the planet. In 1962, he wound up in Britain, where he hooked up with Sir George Martin, re-recorded his songs and never looked back. He recorded this in 1993 and just recently recorded a Xmas song (“Christmas in the Sun” with Rick Parfitt which you can find at his website: http://www.rolfharris.com/). It has earned the KBC Seal of Approval.

Muppets

THERE'S A NEW SOUND

Tony Burello’s masterpiece finds another voice in Scooter (voiced by Richard hunt). While we’re on the subject, just what the hell is Scooter, anyway? Dog? Marmot?

Electric Prunes

HIDEAWAY

From their first album, the one with “Too Much to Dream” on it. Two things worth noting about the Prunes: 1) Kenny Loggins was an early member. 2) Perhaps their most worthy album, “Mass in F Minor” was begun by the Prunes, who then immediately broke up. The album was finished by a Canadian band called the Collectors. I point this out because I actually saw the Collectors once at the Fillmore East warming up for Proocol Harum. Their singer spent the set (one song: “What Love Suite,” a 20-minute solo extravaganza) throwing up behind the speakers. I have that record and will probably foist it on you someday. You’ve been warned.

Nillson

TAKE 54 [with commercial]

How many albums contain their own commercial? Harry was friends with everybody. On this song, he’s backed by Klaus Voorman, Nicky Hopkins, Lowell George, Bobby Keys, Jim Price (?) and Ringo (as Richie Snare) on drums. From the album “Son of Schmilsson,” an album which also features Chris Spedding, Peter Frampton, “George Harrysong,” and Ray Cooper. Odd factoid: Harry owned the house that both Mama Cass and Keith Moon died in. He later sold it to Pete Townshend.

Music behind DJ:Pop Classic Workshop

LUCY IN THE SKY

Firesign Theatre

HIGH SCHOOL MADNESS

From their third album “Don’t Crush that Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers.” The high school pep speech is still a classic. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Firesign Theatre made me what I am today. If you’ve never heard them before, I envy you, you’re in for a real treat. For another treat, go to their Wikipedia page and visit ALL the links at the bottom.